The Oak Tree
by songbirdjo
Summary: Riku swears he's not gay. So why does he only think of Sora whenever he's with Namine? Sora knows he can make Riku love him. Why does he keep getting turned down? SoRiku; NamRiku just for a bit ; CLeon; Implied ClAerith; KaiYuffie; AkuRoku soon; others
1. Love In the Air: Unrequited and Returned

** Author's Notes: Hey everyone. This is my first fanfic ever. I know, I know. lol, My name is Jordan. You can call me that, Jo, or Jori, I don't care which. I love this sight. There are so many talented people on here. I'm hoping to turn out to be one of them. I guess I'll just have to wait until I see my reviews. Please guys, read and review. You'll help me alot.  
**

**Disclaimer: Once upon a time there was a princess who lived in a far away land, locked up in the highest room of the tallest tower. She was so very far away and locked up so very tight, she could not buy kingdom hearts like she wanted to. So she cried for days and days, and then settled on writing fanfics.**

**Guys... I don't own it.**

**Story Summary: Riku swears he's not gay. So why does he only think of Sora whenever he's with Namine? Sora knows he can make Riku love him. So why does he keep getting turned down? Aerith is so broken now that Cloud left but he just wants his best friend back, even if he loves him now. Yuffie and Kairi are perfect for each other, but that doesn't mean they'll always be together. All's fair under guise the Oak Tree. [**RS; RN(for now); KY (haha, warming gel); CL; Implied CA; and anyone else I feel like.

**Warnings: Not much is bad right now... my have more explicit themes in later chapters so readers be ware of the sex! (or atleast implied sex. or something to that effect.) Oh... btw, there are some homosexual relationships in here. Hey, who am I kidding, it's mostly homosexual relationships. They're the most fun! I think I should be warning you about the hetero couples that are soon to come up, but I'm no spoiler! Nu-uh, you'll just have to wait. **

**The Oak Tree **

* * *

**Love is In the Air: Unrequited and Returned **

"Mr. Matsuo…" rang a soft melodic voice. "Mr. Matsuo…"

Sad, cobalt blue eyes tore away from where they stared out the window at a lone oak tree, and fell upon the woman standing in the front of the class. "Hmm?" he asked, dreamily.

A concerned look adorned the tall, brunette's face as she proceeded, "Mr. Matsuo, are you going to be alright?"

The boy looked at his teacher, perplexedly. "What do you mean, Mrs. Gainsborough?"

No one in the class noticed their teacher flinch at the term _Mrs._, as a small blonde boy turned to his confused companion and said, "You were doing it again." There was no need for elaboration because everyone knew what he meant. He dropped his voice to a whisper and said, "Sor, you've got to get over him."

"I know Roxas, I just can't." Sora, the other boy whispered back, a distraught look overtaking his face. "I'm sure that I can make him love me."

Roxas sighed and rubbed sleepily at his eyes. "It's a lost cause. I'm sorry but…"

The boy trailed off as Miss Gainsborough cleared her throat, and shot the boys a sympathetic look. "Guys would you please continue your conversation after class. We've still so much to learn about The Philosophes and only 30 minutes left in class."

"Sorry, Mrs. Gainsborough." The two said, looking apologetic at once.

"Now open your books to page ninety-two and you will see René Descartes. Not only was he an astounding mathematician, but he also…"

_If only I __**could**__ get over him._

ØØØØØØØØØØ

It was only a tree.

No, that was a lie, it wasn't only a tree. It was his tree.

No… that was a lie too. It was their tree.

Sadly, no one realized this fact but him. Not even Sora.

A slender figure sat with his back against an oak tree. It was the only tree in the east school yard. The boy sighed, running his fingers through the hair of the girl whose head lay in his lap. This really was the choice spot to sit and yet no one ever did but his group of friends. Everyone else was always rushing off to their intended destinations and never stopping to notice this little paradise. Oh well, more serenity for him, he supposed.

The little blonde girl who had been reading previously shifted her body on the ground to look up at her boyfriend. She slid her hand up his cheek and into his long silver hair, smiling softly at him. "What are you thinking about, Riku?"

The boy opened his aquamarine eyes and cast them upon a set of light, faded blue. "Just about how lucky I am. I have this place. I have you. I have Sora." And at that sentiment the girl shot up a worried look on her face.

"Naminé, Sora is my best friend. I'm lucky to have him." Riku said in a condescending tone.

"I know Ri, but–"

"Don't call me that." The boy scoffed, looking angrily off in the direction opposite his little blonde girlfriend.

"Sorry." Naminé huffed, staring dejectedly at the ground.

Riku looked back at the defeated girl and took a deep breath in. "Nam, I'm sorry," he told her, wrapping his arms around her torso, only to have them flung off of her.

"Why do you get to call me Nam if I can't call you Ri?"

Now it was his turn to look defeated. "I just don't like the name okay?" he mumbled, barely audibly.

The couple didn't talk anymore for the rest of the afternoon, just stared off in their respective directions until it was time for Riku's soccer practice.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

A tall brunette walked down the side of the road back to her apartment, the dust settling on her worn, brown boots and long pink dress as she trekked. She stared sadly at her left hand. She knew that it was right for her to throw the ring back at him, but it was so hard to let go. Her hand felt so naked. She felt so… abandoned.

She entered her building and trudged her feet up the red, plush-carpeted stairs to her door. Taking a breath for the first time in about five minutes and closing her eyes she did what she'd always done when she got to her door. The girl imagined that when she opened the door, he would be there welcoming her home with open arms. He would call, "Aerith! Welcome home, honey," and wrap her in his strong arms, and nuzzle her neck with his head. Then she would simply laugh give him a kiss and push him away to start dinner as he told her about his day at the office; how many houses he'd sold, how many he'd lost to "that Cid"; and then they'd sit down to the dinner she'd made, conversation never ceasing.

It was only a pipe dream. Aerith knew that. She would open the door to the same empty flat as always, fix herself a drink, and begin grading papers because there was nothing better to do. The girl forced the key into the lock and opened the door only to come face to face with him. Gasping, she promptly dropped her keys.

"Cloud?" The stuttering woman asked her ex-husband, though of course she knew it was him; she was really asking why he was there.

"Hi… Aerith," Cloud muttered, staring not at the woman he'd once loved, but instead at the box in his hands. "I still had the key so I let myself in. I had left all of the vinyl's that Yuffie let me borrow here and she was in a huff about it and said I should come get them, so I did and I probably shouldn't have. I should've waited. I'm sorry."

He was rambling. Cloud never could stop speaking when he was nervous.

"No, um… it's okay. They're yours. I should have just dropped them off." Aerith said, trying hard not to break down.

"Okay, I guess I should go now?"

"Yeah, that's probably best." She moved aside to let him pass through, and could barely choke back a sob when she caught his scent as their bodies touched briefly.

Cloud stood back a bit, still in the shadow of the doorway, staring at Aerith. "I'm really sorry about everything. I never meant for it to happen like this. You know that, right?"

She was breaking down, bit by bit. But she couldn't let him see her cry. Not again. Not if he couldn't be the one to kiss away the tears. "I know. It's not your fault. I'm sure you didn't choose to be…"

"Right."

Two pairs of blue eyes met before hers were the ones to tear away. She said an awkward goodbye and closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry, Aerith," Cloud whispered. "I love him."

Aerith slid down her door and sat, sobbing on the ground, catching only the end of what Cloud said, though she wasn't supposed to hear a word.

"You told me the same thing."

/3 /3 /3 /3 /3 /3 /3 /3 /3 /3

"Ooh! Yuffie, let's get this one! They're my favorite band!" A girl exclaimed happily, pointing to a vinyl on the shelf in the record store they were in. Mitch's Mixes was not just the only record store in the city, but it was the best, and Yuffie Strife's favorite hangout.

"Calm down, Kai." The girl with the short, cropped, raven hair said, wiggling her pinky finger around in her ear, swearing she'd just burst an eardrum. "I can hear you. I'm right here." Yuffie looked down at the record that was being hugged to death by the small redheaded girl next to her. "The Beatles are still your favorite band? Kairi, I love you to death but you've got to catch up with the ages." She chuckled.

"What can I say; I'm an old-school kind of girl." Kairi beamed before getting on tip-toe and puckering her lips. Yuffie tuned in without missing a beat and gave her girlfriend a small peck on the lips before slinking her arm around the other girl's waist.

"But baby, you already have that one. Don't you want to get something else? Something more contemporary?"

"No, I don't have this one. This one is the gold version." Kairi whined, burying her head in Yuffie's neck.

"And what's different about it?" The tall, lanky girl pressed, hugging Kairi tighter.

"I unno." Kairi admitted, making an attempt to distract her girlfriend by pressing featherlike kisses on her neck. The older girl moaned, thrusting her head back instinctively to allow Kairi more access to her neck, gasping and pushing Kairi away.

The two girls looked over at the front desk where a boy, no older than them, sat, jaw-dropped. "Don't stop on my account." He breathed.

Yuffie groaned, grabbing Kairi by the hand and pulling the Record out of her hand. "Just ring this up," she said, thrusting the record into the perv's arms, and muttering under her breath.

The boy rang them up and handed them the record in a black bag with the store's checker-print logo on it as Yuffie paid for it, still grumbling.

"Feel free to come back anytime." He yelled as they walked out the door and noted Yuffie's grip tightening around Kairi's hand.

"Awwwh." Kairi mewed.

"What?" Yuffie snapped back.

"You're so cute when you're mad."

"Whatever." Yuffie said, trying to sound aloof, but she couldn't hide her smile when Kairi leaned against her arm as they walked down the street.

* * *

**Hey guys, it's me again. Please Review! Creative criticisms appreciated. Please no flames, cause it's so easy to turn "I hate you're characters and your story is stupid," into "You didn't develop the characters enough and your plot was a bit confusing and hard to follow," which gives me something to work off of. Don't pretend you don't understand what I mean. **


	2. I'm That Guy

**Disclaimer: Once upon a time there was a princess who lived in a far away land, locked up in the highest room of the tallest tower. She was so very far away and locked up so very tight, she could not buy kingdom hearts like she wanted to. So she cried for days and days, and then settled on writing fanfics.**

**Guys... I don't own it.**

**Story Summary: Riku swears he's not gay. So why does he only think of Sora whenever he's with Namine? Sora knows he can make Riku love him. So why does he keep getting turned down? Aerith is so broken now that Cloud left but he just wants his best friend back, even if he loves him now. Yuffie and Kairi are perfect for each other, but that doesn't mean they'll always be together. All's fair under guise the Oak Tree. [**RS; RN(for now); KY (haha, warming gel); CL; Implied CA; and anyone else I feel like.

**Warnings: Not much is bad right now... my have more explicit themes in later chapters so readers be ware of the sex! (or atleast implied sex. or something to that effect.) Oh... btw, there are some homosexual relationships in here. Hey, who am I kidding, it's mostly homosexual relationships. They're the most fun! I think I should be warning you about the hetero couples that are soon to come up, but I'm no spoiler! Nu-uh, you'll just have to wait. And there's a bit of harsh language.  
**

**The Oak Tree **

* * *

**I'm That Guy**

A boy lay down in the eastern school yard, looking up at the green leaves of the oak tree that shaded him from the lazy afternoon sun. His messy brown spikes were smashed down in the back between his head and the grass that cushioned it. He closed his deep blue his eyes and took a deep breath in, causing his wine-red shirt, and dark blue jacket to ride slightly up, revealing a bit of creamy, tan skin around his waistline. He shook the water out of his ears that had accumulated there in swim practice, and exhaled deeply, simply listening to the silence.

It was blissful.

There were no kids running around and screaming like banshees, as there usually were, since it was after-school hours. Not even a bird chirped. There was complete and total silence.

…until

"So, Sora," A voice piped up, slicing through the quiet that Sora enjoyed so much.

"Yes, Naminé?" He asked, in an exasperated tone, without even opening an eye to look at the girl.

"You and Riku are best friends, right?" Naminé inquired, her voice seeming a bit, off. Sora didn't like it one bit. She was getting at something, but he knew that she wouldn't be straight-forward about it. That just wasn't the type of person she was. So he'd play her little game until she finally got to the point.

"Yes, we're best friends. Funny how you never let us hang out without you there, though," the boy muttered, trying to sound as innocent and genuinely confused as possible. "Why is that?"

The blonde scoffed. "Don't play dumb Sora, you know how I feel."

Sora sighed heavily. He saw that he'd have to do it again. "Naminé, you don't have to worry. I'm not going to steal your precious little Riku away from you. He likes you and not me. He'd never fall for me anyway because he's straight. Yadda yadda yadda, and all that Jazz. You feel better, now?"

Naminé looked down at her small hands that rest on her purple mini-skirt. "A little bit," she admitted, feeling somewhat ashamed of herself.

Great. She felt a little bit better, but now Sora felt like shit. Amazing.

'_Where are you Ri?' _Sora thought sadly. _'If I have to spend another minute alone with your girlfriend, I'll go crazy.'_

Luckily, he was not alone for long.

"Hi guys!" An excited redhead yelled as she bound over to her two friends, dragging an angry Yuffie behind her.

"Kairi, what did I say about yelling when you're in close proximity to my ear?" Yuffie sighed, looking crossly at Kairi.

"Sorry, Yuff, I'm just excited to see them." Kairi smiled and kissed her girlfriend's earlobe, ignoring the fact that said girlfriend went cross-eyed and visibly shivered all the way to her toes from the contact.

It was her turn on spot. And Kairi used it to her advantage whenever she saw the chance.

'_Oh great, another couple.'_ Sora thought, suddenly feeling so out of the loop._'Once Riku and Roxas and Axel come, I'll be the tenth wheel.'_ He never was very good at math. Either way, the brunet forced himself to smile anyway and greet the two.

"Hi, Kairi," Sora said, as his friend plopped down in the grass beside him and dragged her girlfriend onto her lap.

A surprised Yuffie blushed uncharacteristically. "Hey, I'm the seme in this relationship!" She whined, arching her neck to look at Kairi.

"So? The seme can't sit in the uke's lap _sometimes_?" Kairi asked, matching Yuffie's whiney tone and hugging her around the waist while placing a kiss on her right shoulder blade.

"Point taken," Yuffie said, laughing fondly at the other girl.

"Gag me," Sora muttered, rolling his eyes, earning an angry "What?" from the couple beside him.

"Huh? Nothing. Nothing."

Everyone was too caught up with Sora's remark to notice Naminé's stare lingering on Kairi for just a few seconds too long, before she looked away, blushing.

Kairi turned soon enough to notice the red tint on the girl's cheeks, though, and tilted her head to the side. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Naminé asked, blushing an even deeper color at being caught. At least she didn't have to endure the three pairs of eyes burning into her for much longer until there was a soft, smooth voice interrupting their questioning silence.

"Hey guys, I'm sorry I'm late," an exhausted, silver-haired boy yawned as he approached his friends, slowly. He was still clad in his soccer uniform, carrying his large, red, gym-bag on one shoulder and his black, overstuffed backpack on the other. "Practice ran long, but I got here as soon as I could."

The boy sighed and looked wearily at his friends, "Hey, Kai, Yuff, Sor, Nam-" and as if as an after-thought, he added the end of her name, remembering their bitter conversation from earlier that afternoon.

His gaze soon dropped to the form of his little chocolate-haired friend, who lie sprawled out on the ground. "How's it going, Sora?"

"Pretty good," Sora began, smiling at the tradition. It was one of the only things he still had going with his best friend-turned crush. "Still in love with you. You?"

"Still straight, Sora. Still straight." He smiled, his eyes twinkling fondly. This was how the two had greeted each other, without fail, every day for the last 2 years.

Riku dropped his bags on the ground next to where he intended to sit. "The coach made us run double the usual amount of laps this time," He began as he sat next to Naminé and gave her a peck on the cheek, but she immediately pulled back angrily, still not used to her boyfriend's little 'tradition'. He didn't seem to notice though, as he continued, "And the bastard made us do triple the suicides, all because Axel was late."

"Hey, it's not my fault that Roxas was looking particularly cute today. How could I not ravage him?" An all-too suave voice piped up from the background.

The four friends, save Riku, noticed for the first time that Axel and Roxas had been right behind Riku.

'_And now I'm the tenth wheel.'_ Sora thought, hitting his head with his hand._ Wait… Is my math right?'_

The brunet's thoughts were cut short though, by a very irritated blond, huffing and dropping down next to him in the grass. "You didn't ravage me, you pervert. We just talked, geeze." Roxas said, gritting his teeth at the redhead he now sat across from.

Riku slid his hand down his face, sleepily. "Guys let's just do some homework like always and get outta here," the boy chided, and they all passed their homework assignments to the person on their right. Doing homework was much more fun if it was someone else's.

'_Just talked?'_Axel mulled over Roxas' words in his head as he attempted Sora's geometry homework. _'Is that what he wished we'd done? Just talked? He was the one to jump me.'_

-shhhhhhhhhh-XOXO-shhhhhhhhhh-

The wind whipped through Cloud's long blond spikes as he sped down the street to his new residence, one arm hanging out the window of his black SUV. He couldn't get the sounds of Aerith's sobs out of his head.

"I loved her once," he recalled to himself. "I don't know why this happened. I don't know why it had to be me. But I met him, and once that happened, I fell hard. God, I never meant to hurt her."

It felt good to say that out-loud. It felt so good, because it was one of the most honest things he'd ever said. But how did it happen? It was hard to imagine what could douse a love that burned so adamantly as Cloud and Aerith's. They did everything together. They were not only lovers, but they were best friends. And now, the rug had been pulled out from under them. Who had such strong arms that he could pull the rug and catch Cloud as he fell, leaving Aerith to tumble to the ground?

It was Leon.

"_As you all know, I'll be retiring next week. My replacement will be here until then, for me to show him the ropes of dealing with you guys."_

_The company all laughed at their soon-to-be-ex boss's lame joke, a bit of sentimentalism in their chuckles._

"_It is with great pleasure that I introduce you all to Mr. Leonheart."_

_Their old, balding boss, in his far too large brown suit stepped aside and gestured towards the tall, well built brunet to his Right. The man wore a fitted black suit with a maroon tie, and his long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail in an attempt to look neat. The man looked over the silver, thinly framed glasses that sat on his nose at the crowded retirement party._

"_Hello," Mr. Leonheart greeted his new employees. "I am Squall Leonheart, and… well, your boss did a bang-up job of introducing me, so I'll just say that I look forward to getting to know you all."_

_Cloud had been standing in the back of the room as Cid Highwind went on and on about some sale he had made earlier that week. Of course he wasn't listening. He never listened to Cid. They were bitter rivals. But usually, he'd at least be civil and pretend to listen. No coherent thought was formed in Cloud's brain, though, because he was too caught up in the most striking steel grey eyes in the front of the room, that stared piercingly back into his own sky-blue ones as their owner continued to speak in a slow elegant voice that took Cloud's breath away._

_Oh yes, he was falling, and he couldn't seem to catch himself… or Aerith._

Cloud sat in the driveway of a large, but homey-looking, blue house. He was slumped forward in his seat, head against the steering wheel, tears falling freely from his eyes. _'This wasn't supposed to happen,'_ the nagging voice in the back of his mind told him over and over. The small, shell of a man didn't even look up as his brain registered the clicking noise that meant that the passenger-side door was being opened. He didn't even flinch as his nerve-endings told him that he was being enveloped in two strong arms.

"Cloud, I should have never let you go there. You weren't ready," the other man said, his own brown locks falling into his eyes as he nestled his face into his lover's blond ones. "I'm so sorry, Cloud. I should have been there to protect you."

OOOOOOOOOO

As afternoon turned to night, everyone began to leave. In most circumstances one would use the term "one by one," but no; in this case, it was more like two by two. It was as if some arc was coming to pick them all up and save them from the floodwaters. But Sora would be the one to be left behind, now wouldn't he?

Kairi and Yuffie were the first to leave, claiming that Leon had called and asked Yuffie to bring some pain medicine and tissues home for Cloud. He had a "head-cold." The girl pretended not to know that this meant that he'd been crying about the divorce. For as long as she'd known her brother, Cloud had always gotten a migraine after he'd been crying, and the tissues just reinforced her theories.

Next to go were Axel and Roxas. Roxas' mother had told him to be home no later than 7, and it was getting on 6:30. Axel offered to be his ride home, and Roxas happily obliged seeing as he'd never make it home on time by walking. And though he'd never admit it, he'd been afraid of the dark since he was about seven. His mother and Sora were the only ones who knew this and he had threatened them both with horrible things if they so much as cracked a smile, let alone told a soul. This only made them laugh more of course, but neither of them had ever told anyone.

Once it was only Riku, Naminé, and Sora, the small brunet teen just couldn't take it anymore and made some half-assed excuse for going home. Riku offered to give him a ride, but all that could be understood in his inconsistent slur of words was "fresh air."

Hadn't they just been sitting outside for hours?

Now Naminé was alone with Riku, and she could pick up their conversation where they had left off earlier.

"Don't," Was all Riku said once he saw the girl open her mouth.

The hurt was visible in her cloudy blue eyes.

"Riku you can't just shut me down every time I want to talk this out!" She yelled, her nails biting into the palms of her clenched hands. "Relationships are built on communication!"

"And trust!" Riku bit back, angrily.

"So give me something to trust you on. Talk to me about this if I have nothing to worry about."

"Okay," Riku sighed. He was too exhausted to fight. "What do you wan to talk about?"

"Oh," The girl said, the word dripping in surprise. She wasn't expecting him to give up so easily. "Uhm, well, how long has Sora had a crush on you?"

"Two years," Riku replied instantly.

"Okay, and how did he first tell you?"

Riku recalled back to his sophomore year in high school. Sora had been a freshman, but they were in the same English class because Sora was a genius with words, and well… truth-be-told, Riku wasn't the most articulate person in the world.

It wasn't as if they had just met in that class, though. No, they had been friends for about as long as they could remember. The boy's parents were best friends, so their friendship came naturally.

No, it was in that English class that Riku heard the most beautiful, but also the saddest story to ever grace his ears. It was a story about a boy who was in love with his best friend, and it told every feeling and every heartbreak through a perfected first-hand view.

After class, Riku made it to his locker to grab his books for the next class and saw a piece of notebook paper with very few but very powerful words on it.

"_I have to tell you Riku, _

_The story is true._

_I'm that guy…_

_And I love you."_

Riku glanced at Naminé after telling her the story of the boy who loved him, only to find her mouth ajar, and eyes wide.

"S-" she stammered. "So what happened?"

"Well," Riku sighed, leaning back onto his elbows in the grass. "I didn't know how to handle the situation at first, so I ignored him for about a week."

The girl's eyes, if possible, grew wider still.

"But then I realized that that was stupid. I wasn't going to throw away years of friendship because he had a crush on me."

Riku looked back at his girlfriend to see tears rolling slowly down her face.

"How can you say that?"

"What?" Riku asked, confused at what had spurred these tears.

"Riku it's not a 'crush.' Sora loves you. He really loves you, and you write it off as a crush. Don't you realize how much you must be hurting him?"

"What? I'm being his friend, would he rather if I just left him alone?"

"I would!" The girl yelled, verging hysterics. "And you play that stupid little 'how's it going' game, you're leading him on! He must be in so much pain. How could you?"

Riku's aquamarine eyes were soon filled with guilt. She was telling the truth. But it was for the best that Sora not know the truth. It was for the best that Riku kept the truth inside of him; bottled up.

'_It's okay to love him back.'_ The voice in the side of his head told him.

'_No. It's not okay.' _He retorted in his mind._ 'I'm Riku Kondo, I don't like guys. I've got a cute little girlfriend and a perfect __**best friend**__. There is no room for a boyfriend in my life. I'm not gay.'_

'_Yeah… you kind of are.'_

Riku was now on the verge of hysterics, himself. The only solution: He leaned in and kissed Naminé passionately. "I don't like Sora, I like you, Nam. I mean-"

"You can call me Nam." The girl said, looking down at her hands as she always did when she was upset. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have called you Ri. I like it when you call me Nam so I thought you'd like Ri."

"Well I don't, babe." He told the girl. "But you know who I do like?"

The girl giggled, "Who me?" She asked. He nodded his head and she said, "Couldn't be?"

"Then who?" he asked, childishly shrugging his shoulders in a questioning way.

"Maybe you?" She laughed.

"Of course not, though I am quite devilishly handsome," the boy said beginning to tickle the girl. She writhed in laughter until someone clearing their throat could be heard from behind.

'_Sora,' _Riku thought, seeing his little brunet friend, bending down and picking up a book. _'Shit. How much did he hear?"_

"Sorry," the boy began. "I just forgot my History book. Uhm… I'll go now." He turned and began walking away.

"Sora," Riku breathed, sadly, as Naminé placed a kiss on his forehead and suggested that they leave before it got too dark.

XOXOxoxoXOXOxoxoXOXO

Sora rounded 3 corners before stopping behind a tree and letting a whimper escape his lips.

"He hates, Ri." He said aloud, still in disbelief. "And he only likes me as a friend."

The heartache was almost too much to bear. Sora clenched his chest as his heartbeat sped up and his breathing became jagged. He was having a panic attack. This always happened when he got this upset.

It happened that day in the seventh grade when he had forgotten his lines in the school musical, luckily he had stumbled off stage before the attack began.

It happened when his dad went through Chemo-Therapy.

And the last time it had happened was the day that Riku had officially rejected him. That was also the last time that Riku had held him; fully held him until the shakes subsided and the breathing and heart rate went back to normal. Since then, there wasn't too much contact, because they were only friends. And friends didn't do that type of thing.

So why then, did Riku and Sora always hug, and sleep in the same bed, and cuddle before Sora had come out to him? Why were things suddenly different?

That's right… things were different. And he finally understood: Riku would never love him.

* * *

**Author's EndNotes: Oh my gosh, you guys actually reviewed and I was actually added to alert lists. I'm so excited. Seriously, I doubted that I would get any reviews. They are so appreciated.**

**So, Read and Review please:)**

**Oh, and I also meant to tell you that I made that 10th wheel mistake when I was typing it up for the first time. XD I'm so bad at math. I caught my mistake though, but I liked it and rolled with it.**

**IF JORDAN CAN'T BE GOOD AT MATH, THEN NO ONE SHALL BE!**

**Riku: I'm good at math.**

**Yuffie/Kairi/Namine/Roxas: Yeah, us too.**

**Axel: I try.**

**Sora: Yeah, Jo, it's just you and me.**

**Me: Oh... -comes down off her high horse-**

**Thanks for reading! **


	3. Are You Happy?

**Disclaimer: Once upon a time there was a princess who lived in a far away land, locked up in the highest room of the tallest tower. She was so very far away and locked up so very tight, she could not buy kingdom hearts like she wanted to. So she cried for days and days, and then settled on writing fanfics.**

**Guys... I don't own it.**

**Story Summary: Riku swears he's not gay. So why does he only think of Sora whenever he's with Namine? Sora knows he can make Riku love him. So why does he keep getting turned down? Aerith is so broken now that Cloud left but he just wants his best friend back, even if he loves him now. Yuffie and Kairi are perfect for each other, but that doesn't mean they'll always be together. All's fair under guise the Oak Tree. [**SoRiku; NamRiku (for now); KaiYuffie; NamKairi; CLeon; Implied ClAirith; AkuRoku; anyone else I think of.

**Warnings: Not much is bad right now... my have more explicit themes in later chapters so readers be ware of the sex! (or atleast implied sex. or something to that effect.) Oh... btw, there are some homosexual relationships in here. Hey, who am I kidding, it's mostly homosexual relationships. They're the most fun! I think I should be warning you about the hetero couples. haha. **

**The Oak Tree  
**

* * *

**Are You Happy?  
**

Aerith sat in her small, pearly white tub, her knees drawn up to her chest, and her head ducked halfway under the water. She was never one to deal well with stress. Her problem: she didn't know what way was right for her. Of course, there were the healthy ways that Tifa and her mother suggested, such as finding a happy medium. But since the divorce, she didn't find joy in any of the things she used to like so much. Whenever she painted, the colors seemed bland; washed out. The small bunches of flowers that sat in the pot in her windowsill were left untended because gardening reminded her of how Cloud used to point out the meaning of each flower as she watered it.

"_Jonquil," _He would murmur into her neck once he'd snuck up behind her and snaked his arms loosely around her hips. _"Desire for love to be returned." _She would feel his lips form a smirk as he drawled,_"Well baby, I already put a ring on your finger. What more can you ask for?"_

The brunette smiled sadly at the memory.

She had, of course, considered the unhealthy mediums also but shot most of them down. She thought about smoking but soon remembered her asthma. She could become a junkie, but she knew that drugs were way more than she could afford on her tiny teacher's salary. Cutting was not an option, seeing as every time she so-much-as looked at blood, she fainted.

So, the woman just let herself die away mentally, emotionally, and considerably physically because she hardly ever ate anymore. Soon enough she would wither away into the background. It would be better that way. She could just let Cloud be happy with Leon without making him worry about her, or apologize to her. It wasn't his fault that he had fallen out of love with her and in love with him. It just… happened.

But that man… She couldn't help but become queasy at the thought of him sneaking around with her spouse. Having… _relations_ with Cloud before he would creep back into their apartment and sleep next to her in their bed, still smelling of sex.

Yes, it had been going on for months and Aerith turned a blind eye. _"He loves me,"_ she told herself. _"This'll pass. It's just… a phase."_ She pretended not to notice that Cloud constantly smelled of someone else's scent. She simply walked away when she would catch him on the phone telling said 'someone else', _"I love you too. I'll meet you there."_

Soon it was just too much to bear though. Cloud came home from the office very late, spewing obvious lies of having to have calculated his month's sales. _"What is this?"_ She asked him, holding up a cell phone. Clearly displayed across the screen were the words, _"Miss you already, baby. Same time tomorrow?"_ Cloud stammered, eyes wide. The first thought through his mind asked how he'd been so careless as to leave his phone at home. But soon, the severity of his actions caught up with him as he saw the hurt in Aerith's eyes. He told her that "he could explain," and everything else one said once caught in a lie.

"_Fine, explain,__baby__,"_ The woman said, her voice wavering with obvious anger. _"I know there's someone else. So just tell me— who is she?"_

Cloud froze. There were no easy words for this situation. He'd have to be blunt. "His name is Leon. He's my boss."

The cell phone dropped out of the woman's hand and to the floor as a deep, guttural chuckle erupted from Aerith's petite form. _"You're kidding, right?"_ she asked her husband, who remorsefully shook his head, staring down at the floorboards beneath his black boots and her brown ones.

Her laughter became more erratic and transformed into a hysterical cackling before doing a complete 180 into deep sobs as the woman slunk to the floor. The tears soaked through her lacy blue dress, making their way to her thighs.

Cloud hugged Aerith to him in a futile attempt to comfort the distressed woman, feeling more guilt than ever before as she shoved him angrily away, wailing, _"Get off of me! Go back to your __boyfriend__! How could you!?!"_

These memories made the schoolteacher feel faint, weak, disturbed, and unclean. There had to be a way to make this feeling in her stomach go away. She stood up in the tub and stepped out, the water from her naked form instantly creating a puddle beneath her foot on the black and white bathroom tile. She stumbled her way towards the toilet and gripped the counter of the sink with one hand while she forced two of her right hand's fingers down her throat. The woman felt her stomach lurch before its contents, which were few mind you, ended up in the toilet.

She straightened, flushed and with a disgusting fruity taste in her mouth, but she felt good for the first time in too long.

Oh, did she feel good.

/u/n/h/e/a/l/t/h/y/

"Come on, Roxie Baby. Quit teasing," a certain redhead whined arching his head to give the blond more access to the neck he was currently planting soft kisses on.

"Hey, I lied to our friends about having to be home for you, so I get to be in control. But you know you love the foreplay," Roxas smirked, shifting in the worn leather seat of Axel's beat up, old, red pickup.

"You know what I love even more?" Axel asked in a playful tone. His secret lover simply lifted a dark blond eyebrow. The older teen leaned forward and whispered directly into Roxas' ear, "PDA's."

Roxas instantly shoved Axel away from himself declaring, "For the last time, we can't go public."

"But why not?" Axel heaved, obviously irritated. "Roxas, why can't we go public? I like you. You like me. What is wrong with us becoming an 'us'? You've never given me one good reason!"

"We just can't, Axel! Why can't you trust me on this one?"

"Roxas, let's not fight right now. Let's not do this."

"No." Roxas said firmly, verging on tears. "Let's not do _this_. If you can't trust me, I'd rather not be with you."

"Roxas," Axel sighed as he watched the little blond boy climb out of the passenger door, stalk up to the house that the truck was parked in the driveway of, and let himself inside. He even waited to see the light flick on in the third window to the right on the second story, Roxas' room.

The boy slumped in his seat and put the truck into gear before backing out of the driveway and pulling off. Where was he going? Hell if he knew. He barely even realized it as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number that he barely ever dialed. Sora's.

/r/e/j/e/c/t/e/d/

Sora walked through his front door, exhaustedly rubbing at his eyes as he called out, "I'm home," and trudged from the door to the living room.

His father looked up from his paper, rubbed his bald head, and smiled at his son, saying "Hey kiddo. Home a little late aren't you?" Rubbing his head before he greeted a person was a habit that Mr. Matsuo had acquired since he lost his hair to chemo. Although he was no longer sick, he shaved his head regularly because he had gotten used to the look. "You can do your homework at home, you know? "I'm beginning to think that you're only out there because Riku is," The man teased, smirking at his son.

Sora's parents had known for about as long as Sora did that he was gay, and was in fact in love with their best friends' son. Sora saw no reason to hide his sexuality, especially since he had loved to prance around in tutus since he was seven; something only his parents and, regretfully, Riku knew.

"_Wow, Sora,"_ Riku teased at the sight of his best friend standing frozen in a pirouette, a sparkly pink tutu wrapped around his waist and princess crown nestled in his brown spikes. The boy slowly turned around, eyes wide, and heart thumping at being caught. _"You're the most beautiful fairy princess ballerina that I've ever seen," _the boy laughed, bowing his silver head and extending his hand to Sora as he exclaimed, _"May I have this dance?"_ Sora giggled at his silly friend and took his hand, and the two seven-year-old boys attempted to do any dance possible; ballet, the waltz; the tango. To much of the dismay of their now sixteen and seventeen year-old selves, their mothers snuck into the room with a Polaroid and now have a picture album dedicated to _"Riku and Sora's First Dance."_ No matter how many times Riku insisted that he was straight, his mother always insisted even more forcefully that he would marry Sora some day. The boy always scoffed at the thought, flung his silver hair out of his face, and stormed up to his room where he would slam the door for added effect, then begin to shamefully daydream about marrying Sora.

When the man saw the distraught look on his son's face, he felt the smirk slide off of his own. "Are you okay, Sora?" his mother asked once she'd finally looked up from the decorating show on the television.

Sora sadly shook his head and walked up the stairs to his room and clicking his door shut softly.

"Should we do something?" the woman asked her husband, worriedly.

"There's nothing for us to do. We all knew that this would happen, Kumo." The man sighed and ran a hand sleepily down his face. "It's up to Riku to figure out that it's okay if he returns Sora's love."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Trust me, honey. He'll come around." And with that, the man began to read his paper again while his wife hesitantly went back to the TV.

Sora had been listening in on his parents' conversation and definitely was not convinced. Riku didn't like him, that's all there was to it. The boy had been deep in thought when suddenly his phone began to ring. He listened to the phone belt out the first few lines of "Simple and Clean" before picking it up and saying, "Hello?"

"Yeah, hey kid. It's Axel," The voice on the other line said, simple, and to the point. That was Axel for you.

"Axel?" Sora asked, scratching his head. "I think you got my number confused with Roxas'. Here, I can give it to you if you want."

"No!" the redhead screamed. "I meant to call you. You see, it's about Roxas."

"Hmm? What about him?" The boy asked, laying down on his bed and closing his blue eyes, tiredly.

"Well, uhh… you see…" Axel began, finding difficulty in placing the words. "I guess I shouldn't be telling you this, because Roxie doesn't want me to, but you're his best friend and I didn't know who else to come to."

"What? What's wrong with Roxas?" The boy sprung up, thinking the worst.

"Calm down, kid. It's just that-" Axel paused, and then sighed heavily. "Well, Roxas and I have been going at it." He said, then as an afterthought added "Secretly," upon hearing Sora's confused silence.

"Wow," Sora breathed. "Uh, that's great, I guess. I mean, he's had a crush on you for like, ever."

"No, not great," Axel said. "My problem is that I think that we should go public. I really like him. I do. And I want everyone to know that he's mine, so hands off of his cute little ass."

"Uhh… tmi Axel, tmi."

"Sorry," Axel admitted. "But he doesn't want to be a couple. Do you know what's wrong?"

Sora winced. He knew exactly what was wrong, and there was no way to beat around the bush. "Axel?"

"Hmm?"

"Your problem isn't that people can't keep their hands off of him, it's that he can't keep his hands off of other people."

"What are you talking about?" A very worried Axel asked in a meek voice.

"Well, he's an unfaithful slut."

"Okay, **what** are you talking about?" Axel asked again now getting frustrated.

"You remember when Roxas and I went out last year? Well, he cheated on me," Sora recalled, picking at a loose thread on his navy blue comforter.

"Yeah, but that was one time. That doesn't make him a—"

"And when I figured out that I didn't care that he cheated on me because I was still in love with Riku and loved Roxas like a brother, he started going out with Hayner, who he'd cheated on me with. Of course it wasn't long before he cheated on Hayner with Seifer. Come on, Axel. Wake up and smell the coffee. Every relationship that he enters he ruins. He doesn't want to ruin your relationship. And **that** is your problem."

Axel's jaw dropped before he mumbled, "That makes sense," hurt evident in his viridian eyes.

"'S that all you needed?" Sora asked the older boy as he proceeded to lie back down.

"Yeah, thanks Sora," Was the last thing he heard as Axel clicked the phone off.

"No problem," he said into the air, hanging up also.

"Ri," he said aloud, absentmindedly. "No, not Ri. Riku. And he doesn't love you."

/u/n/f/a/i/t/h/f/u/l/

"Mom, I'm home."

Riku's mother looked up at the sound of her son's voice. "Hey, Riku. I'm in here."

Riku walked towards the sound of his mother's voice which leads him to the Dining Room where she sat, surrounded by papers, her silver hair, falling out of the clip that attempted to contain it. She was a college professor and a busy one at that. Grading papers had become her only week-night activity and it was driving her crazy. "Hi, Honey. Food's in the oven and should be ready soo- Who's that?"

His mother stared at an adorable little blonde girl, who stood sheepishly beside her son. "Hi," the girl said. "I'm Naminé."

"Mom, like she just said, this is Naminé, my girlfriend," Riku told his mother, holding his breath at the look in his mother's eyes.

To the average person, which in this case was Naminé, Umi Kondo looked very pleasant. But Riku knew this look, and had seen it way to many times not to know what it resulted in. It was a look of utter contempt. The woman smiled sweetly and said, "Why hello, Naminé. It's nice to meet you. Why don't you make yourself comfortable?" Umi gestured towards a seat.

"No, mom," Riku said, hurriedly. They had to get out of here. "We're just going to finish some homework in my room and then I'll take her ho-"

"Nonsense. Sit down. I insist."

"Okay," the girl chirped happily taking a seat across the table from Riku's mother. Riku heaved a sigh and sat down irritably next to his ignorant girlfriend.

"You should stay for dinner. I'll show you some adorable pictures of Riku when he was little." The woman stood and walked to a large chest in the corner of the room.

"No! Mom, don't. Please don't do this," Riku begged his mother, knowing that after the night was over he'd be single once more.

"Please do!" Naminé laughed, eager to see little Riku in diapers, maybe a bear bottom or two. She had no idea what was in store.

The woman produced a powder pink photo album that displayed _"Love"_ across the front. In smaller letters under it, was scrawled out _"Riku and Sora's First Dance."_

"Riku and Sora's First Dance…" The blonde read aloud, the smile slipping off of her face.

"No, you really don't want to see this old thing," Riku said, shutting the book as Naminé attempted to open it.

She grabbed it from him, wordlessly and opened the book. On every page there were pictures of Riku and Sora dancing happily. They each wore wide smiles on their faces as they galloped around the room. Naminé felt her heart lurch as she looked over the pictures. This was wrong. She shouldn't be here. If she didn't know before, she definitely knew now.

But once she got to the last page she couldn't control herself. She looked at Riku her eyes clouding up with tears, and stood. "Riku how could you?" she asked, shaking with anger.

"Nam, I was seven," he pleaded, standing and taking the girl by the arms.

"Don't call me that!" She barked, wrenching herself from his grasp and slapping him across the face. "Riku you're so blind. He loves you and you love him back. That picture is proof!"

The boy rubbed his cheek that was reddening more by the second. "No, I don't. I love you, Nam. Can't you see that?"

"Empty words, Riku. You love him, and you're an idiot for hurting him so much. I saw both of your faces by the tree, so don't pretend that he's okay!"

"Oh yeah? Well how about Kairi?"

"Kairi's fine! Don't bring her into this. She's happy with Yuffie."

"And are you happy with that?"

She slapped him again.

"You're an asshole, Riku." She stormed out of the house and ran. She didn't know where she'd go, but she couldn't stay there.

Riku looked up at his mother, flames behind his eyes, only to see her laughing. No, laughing was an understatement. The woman was in stitches.

"Way to go, mom. I hope you're happy!" Riku spat, already out of the room and climbing the stairs.

"I am! Shall I call Sora over for dinner?" The woman retorted at her retreating son.

"Go ahead! I'm not hungry!"

The woman chuckled one last time. Score 13 for Umi/ 0 for Riku. It was okay though, once Riku finally confessed to Sora, both mother and son would gain a point. In fact, Sora would gain a point too, and Kumo. Hell, everyone won in this situation. Well... maybe not Naminé. Oh well. She'll live. Umi picked up the book and smiled down at the last picture before closing it, placing it in the drawer, and going back to her papers.

"_Go ahead and give your future husband a kiss, Sora," a brown haired woman suggested, smiling happily. The silverette beside her gave a laugh of approval as she raised the camera to her eye. The little boy in the tutu stood on tip-toe in order to reach the cheek of his older friend, upon which he placed a single, tiny, kiss. Next followed one Click, a brief flash of light, and one very red, silver-headed little boy._

* * *

**Author's EndNotes:**

**Aerith: Dude... I feel so emo.**

** Roxas: Hey, Sora, I heard that slut comment.**

**Sora: Well, it's true.**

**Axel: I finally get it!**

**Riku: I think I do too...**

**Axel: Really? Wow! We're on the same page!**

**Me: No, Axel... I don't think you are.**

**Thanks for reading! Make sure to review. Seeing them in my inbox makes me squeal with glee! And they motivate me to update!**

**Jo **


	4. I'm So Sorry

** Author's Note: OMG GUYS I'M SO SORRY THIS IS LATE! I had a ton of homework all week and I promised myself that I wouldn't write each night unless my homework was done. And of course that went till the wee hours of the morning cause I suck at everything except for speech and journalism... and somewhat spanish. So I spent all this morning getting myself prepared for the aweful things that happen in this chapter by looking at really mushy adorable fanart/fanfics before I wrote this cause I knew it was gonna be saaaad. It'll cheer up soon, so don't get turned off by the saddness. It is temporary.**

** But seriously, I can't even look my reviewers in the face. I'm three days late. GAH!**

** Oh, and one more thing, I got a review from SonadowBaby who said she liked the words instead of page-breaks, so I kept them. Thanks for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: Once upon a time there was a princess who lived in a far away land, locked up in the highest room of the tallest tower. She was so very far away and locked up so very tight, she could not buy kingdom hearts like she wanted to. So she cried for days and days, and then settled on writing fanfics.**

**Guys... I don't own it.**

**Story Summary: Riku swears he's not gay. So why does he only think of Sora whenever he's with Namine? Sora knows he can make Riku love him. So why does he keep getting turned down? Aerith is so broken now that Cloud left but he just wants his best friend back, even if he loves him now. Yuffie and Kairi are perfect for each other, but that doesn't mean they'll always be together. All's fair under guise the Oak Tree. [**SoRiku; NamRiku (for now); KaiYuffie; NamKairi; CLeon; Implied ClAirith; AkuRoku; anyone else I think of.

**Warnings: Not much is bad right now... my have more explicit themes in later chapters so readers be ware of the sex! (or atleast implied sex. or something to that effect.) Oh... btw, there are some homosexual relationships in here. Hey, who am I kidding, it's mostly homosexual relationships. They're the most fun! I think I should be warning you about the hetero couples. haha. **

**The Oak Tree**

* * *

**I'm So Sorry**

White light crept into the room from behind the beige curtains and seeped through the young girl's eyelids. She shifted, disoriented, on the firm -all too familiar- couch beneath her.

"Wake up," a soft voice whispered into Naminé's ear. The girl grunted softly, attempting to open her eyes. She heard a warm giggle and carefully opened one periwinkle eye.

"Good, you're up. I just had to tell you that my mom called your mom, and they decided to excuse us from school today. You're tired, and hurt. You don't have to go anywhere. I'll go make us breakfast."

Naminé focused her eyes on her friend and remembered the night before.

"_Open up, please. Open up." Naminé whispered, through her tears after having knocked on the door about twelve thousand times. She was about to give up, about to turn and go home, but soon the large white door before her swung open and a very confused red-head stared her in the face._

"_Naminé?" The girl asked._

"_Kairi!" Was all she managed before she fell into the girl's arms, crying._

_Kairi dragged the sobbing girl into the living room where she sat the girl upon her large, black suede couch. She was sweet, understanding. She waited patiently until Naminé found herself out of tears, then asked her slowly, "What's wrong?"_

_Naminé took a deep, slow breath before she told Kairi what had happened. By the end of the story, the blonde was nestled in her friend's arms, shaking violently. "Shhhh," Kairi comforted. "It's okay, it's okay."_

"_It's not okay. I finally get it," Naminé wailed. Kairi waited, once more, for clarification. "I called him blind, Kairi. I'm such a hypocrite. I called __him__ blind, when I've been the blind one all along."_

"_What do you mean?" Kairi asked._

"_I saw the way they looked at each other. I heard the way his voice became defensive whenever I said something unkind about Sora. I knew that they loved each other, and that I had no place in his life, but I thought it would be okay, because gay couples don't work out."_

_Kairi gasped and pushed Naminé away, caught off guard by this sudden statement that pulled her into the past. This was too familiar._

"_No. Wait, Kairi. Hold on." Naminé said, desperately reaching for Kairi's hand. "But then when I thought about it, that was the reason that I had broken up with you. I thought that it wouldn't work. I had no faith. I just thought that simply because it was a gay couple that it wouldn't work. Then when I looked at you and Yuffie, I found myself getting so jealous because it not only worked, but it was you…" Somehow the girl found her tears again. "Kairi, you don't know how wrong I was, on so many accounts. They would work, I get that now. And I think that… I think that we would… I think we would—" The girl was cut off by a pair of soft warm lips against her own._

_Kairi pulled back, blushed, and looked down at their hands, fingers laced together. "I think that we would have worked too," the girl said. "But I have Yuffie now. I'm sorry, Naminé, I just can't be with you right now."_

"_Right now?" Naminé asked, hope plaguing her eyes. "So, maybe soon?"_

"_I don't know, Nam. I don't know how long Yuffie and I will last." Kairi released the other girl's hands and got slowly to her feet, eyes closed, holding her breath. "You should sleep here; you're in now condition to go anywhere right now. I'll get you a blanket." And with that, the redhead disappeared up the stairs._

"Pancakes are ready," A voice yelled, breaking Naminé of her reverie.

"Right now…" Naminé repeated softly, finding comfort in the words, before finding her footing on the white, plush carpet beneath her and walking to the kitchen where Kairi awaited.

/h/o/p/e/

Sora sat in the corner of his history class room, by the window, as usual. His cinnamon colored spikes stood straight up, quite ordinarily for Sora. The expected sadness was even in his cobalt eyes. There was something off, though; something went beyond the simple "not right" and into the lands of "very wrong."

Sora Matsuo was actually paying attention to his teacher, and not staring off at the Oak Tree. In fact, his eyes had not once flicked even in the direction of the window. Everyone in the class noticed. It was hard to ignore, really. The boy was not only attentive, but raised his hand at every question, always having the right answer.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sora?" Ms. Gainsborough asked him many times, always gaining simple nod in reply.

Of course, Sora was far from okay. He was a wreck. School work was the only thing that could distract him from this despair, though, so work he did.

After class, Sora and Roxas walked silently to their next class, stopping at Sora's locker on the way as per usual, but Roxas' eyes never left his brunet friend.

"Sora, you're not alright," he finally said, breaking the tense silence. "Something happened last night."

Sora stopped, his finger on his combination lock, staring blankly at his friend. "Yeah," he replied. "With you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The blonde asked, defensively, knowing exactly what it meant. Sora knew.

"Roxas, you need to learn to trust yourself a little more," Sora told Roxas, grateful that he'd taken the bait.

"I trust myself just fine. I just…" Roxas stopped, looking over Sora's shoulder. "I'll see you in class," the boy grumbled, turning on his heel and storming off.

Sora stared over to where Roxas was looking; not that he had to, he knew that Axel would be there. Surely enough, the goofy redheaded junior was there clad in a vibrant checkered green jacket with an electric blue shirt underneath and bright red vans that matched his hair. The boy was looking over at Roxas' retreating form, sadly.

Sora sighed and turned back to open his locker. When he swung the door open, a slip of paper fell to his feet. He stared, surprised, at the letter for a while, then slowly knelt to pick it up. The boy opened the letter, and his eyes grew wider with every word read.

"_Sora,"_ the letter began.

"_Wait for me by the tree after school. We need to talk._

_-Riku"_

What did Riku want? The letter hadn't said "Meet _us_ by the tree after school" or something along the lines. It would just be _Riku_ and _him_; a pair that hadn't been alone together in so long. Sora finally took a breath, and struggled to keep his composure as he walked to class.

/s/u/r/p/r/i/s/e/

A girl walked quickly from the school building. She ran a hand through her cropped black hair, and took deep breaths. It was a simple habit; many possessed it. If one knew the girl well enough, though, they would know that she was a nervous wreck. The problem— Kairi was not at school today.

'_Kairi never misses school,'_ the girl thought. _'She must be sick. I hate it when she's sick, she always looks so sad.'_

Yuffie contemplated what to do, but knew her plan of action within seconds. She would stop by the local Soup Stop to bring her sick girlfriend some broccoli cheese soup, her favorite, and go pick up a copy of The Breakfast Club, her favorite movie, from the video store. No wait, Kairi already had that movie of course. She'd bought it for her on their two month anniversary. Yuffie had never really liked doing month anniversaries, before. They always seemed so trivial. But now that she had Kairi she was always looking for an excuse to shower the girl with gifts just to see the smile that spread across her face; to see the way her big blue eyes lit up, turning from cyan to an electric blue within a split second.

She felt bad not being able to show up with the movie, though. She didn't want to come without a gift. The girls face fell at the thought, only to be picked up by the idea of getting her a teddy bear and a get well soon card instead. She felt much better, thinking of how they'd soon watch_their_ movie together as Yuffie fed Kairi her soup, blowing on every bite. Yes, much better, and soon Kairi would too.

There was no reason why she shouldn't feel good after tonight; except for maybe the little blonde reason on her couch.

/i/g/n/o/r/a/n/t/b/l/i/s/s/

Two boys exchanged glances from where they stood a good five feet away from each other in an awkward silence. Riku would open his mouth to begin from time to time, but just could not seem to know how to start. How did you tell your best friend that you not only are in love with him, but had been in love with him all the years that you'd put him through hell. Well, for starters, you could mention you were single.

"I broke up with Naminé," Riku began, squinting from the sun that bathed his face in a gentle yellow light, from where it sat, low in the sky in order to avoid Sora's eyes. "Well, actually, she dumped me."

"Wow," Sora said, after a few seconds, looking at the ground. "She liked you so much, I never would have thought."

Riku let out a delayed breath. "Yeah, well, my mom brought out the album again."

Sora's face instantly grew repentant. "I'm so sorry, Riku. If only I didn't wear that freaking tutu..."

"No!" Riku exclaimed, a far too loud than necessary. "Don't you ever say that, Sora. Don't you ever regret that day. I don't. Those were amazing memories." Riku was infuriated. His aquamarine eyes stared intensely at Sora, making him feel uncomfortable, vulnerable even.

"Uhmm…" Sora said, flustered and blushing like an overripe tomato. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just don't want it to be my fault that you lose all of these girlfriends and** why are you staring at me like that?**"

"Oh," Riku muttered, as if he'd never noticed the degrees of frustration that poured into his stare. He cooled himself down before he spoke again. "It's not your fault, Sora. It's my moms. Really," The boy said, before he began to chuckle darkly. "It was pretty funny, actually. Naminé ran out of my house after she went on and on about how blind I was."

"Hmm?" Sora asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend.

"Some metaphor for how in love with you I am." Sora gasped, and looked his friend straight in the eye, before averting his vision down to the ground once more.

"That's not true," the brunet said, a lump rising to his throat. "She's so wrong."

All laughter ceased instantaneously as Riku reached out and caught Sora by his arm. "Sora, look at me," the silver-headed boy commanded.

Sora sheepishly lifted his eyes to meet his taller friend's gaze.

"Sora, I think she's right. I think I have been blind. No," he corrected, "I know she was right, I have been blind. I love you, Sora. I love you so much.

Sora gaped blankly at Riku. "Riku, stop. This isn't a joke, okay."

"I know, I'm not jo—"

"This isn't a joke! Stop it, Riku. I'm done playing. I can't take it anymore so just leave me alone!" Sora yelled, pushing away from Riku, and shutting his eyes tightly to stop the tears.

"I'm not joking, Sora! I'm not joking!" Riku replied, pulling Sora back towards him and into his arms. "I know that I turned you down before, but that's because I thought it was best. I thought that I was straight because straight was _normal_. It was _right_. I thought that we wouldn't work because we would be a gay couple and gay couples wouldn't work. But I get it now Sora, I get that I don't give a fuck what's normal or right! I just know I love you and I wanna be with you, no matter what people say."

Again, Sora stared up at Riku, his eyes seemingly emotionless. Suddenly, Sora began to laugh. He laughed hysterically, but his deep blue eyes just seemed so sorrowful. "So what, Riku? Tell me, what now! You think that after two years of being rejected and feeling so alone while you tell yourself that being gay is 'bad' and traipse around with adorable little girls that you can just tell me that you've been in fucking_love_ with me all along and expect it to go well? What, did you expect me to fall into your arms and you would whisk me away to happily ever after?" Sora was using profanity, he had to be infuriated. His tone was not happy, his laughter had stopped, and his pace sped up muddling every word with the next. "Well, guess what. Go ahead and guess. You're wrong! You didn't even fucking apologize…" Sora couldn't continue, for he was now sobbing heavily. "GET OFF ME!" The boy yelled, flinging Riku from his body.

Riku attempted to envelope the boy in another hug but Sora wouldn't give in. They two boys wrestled for a while, two pairs of feet planted firmly on the ground, but Sora finally stopped and was taken over by his sobs. Riku wrapped his arms firmly around the brunet boy, as the latter's legs gave out and the two sank to the ground. Sora cried pathetically into Riku's shirt. "I'm sorry, Sora. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Riku whispered soothingly into Sora's ear as he rocked him back and forth on the ground.

"Riku, why did you do this to me?" Sora asked sadly into Riku's dark red shirt. "I'm so confused. It hurts so bad."

/a/p/o/l/o/g/i/e/s/

Two girls sat closely knit on the large black couch, eating Ben & Jerry's fudge ice cream straight from the carton. "Kairi," the blonde spoke up, placing her spoon back into the now soft ice cream that sat on the glass coffee table between the couch and the television. "I'm so glad that we did this Kairi. It's been a long time since we've spent time together, and even longer since I've watched The Breakfast Club." Naminé giggled at herself. "Look at me, getting all corny, but I mean it, Kai. I've missed you." She slid her hand along the couch to grab Kairi's.

Kairi turned her attention from the movie in front of them, her friend beside her. "Yeah, me too," she agreed, giving the other girl's hand a squeeze. "So you feel better? Forgetting about Riku?" She asked, smiling hopefully.

The look in Naminé's eyes suddenly grew serious. She drew in a shallow breath, and pulled her hand out of Kairi's. The girl lifted her hand and placed it gently on the other's warm cheek. "Riku who?" she put simply, before leaning in and placing a passionate kiss on the fudge-tasting lips before her.

A loud crash could be heard through-out the house, following a loud gasp. "Oh my god."

The two girls on the couch broke apart and turned towards the sounds. There in the door-way stood an enraged and bewildered Yuffie, with a shattered bowl of soup at her feet where the tile in the walkway met the carpet of the living room. The girl had a gigantic teddy-bear in her arms, along with an even bigger card with "Get well soon!" displayed across the front in large, italicized letters.

"The hell is going on in here!?!" Yuffie asked angrily.

"How did you get in here?" Kairi asked, avoiding Yuffie's question by asking her own. She felt ashamed, and embarrassed. She would be angry with herself if Yuffie wasn't doing such a fantastic job of it already.

"I used the key you gave me for our anniversary like usual— Is that _The Breakfast Club!?!_ I can't believe this! Oh my god, Kairi! Tell me, it's not what I'm thinking. Please, Kairi!" Yuffie begged. "Tell me that _Naminé_ is not in your house, watching _our_ movie, kissing YOU!"

"Yuffie, I'm sorry. I didn't—"

"No, don't start Kairi! Don't tell me that you didn't mean to, or you didn't think about it. I don't want your shit! I want you to tell me that I'm fucking wrong!"

Naminé blushed twice as hard as Kairi had. What is she doing here; ruining yet another relationship? "Oh my god," she voiced, looking back and forth between the two.

"No that's my line!" Yuffie yelled at the blonde.

"I'm so sorry," she said, ignoring Yuffie. "I have to leave." And within seconds, the girl was out the door in a fashion sickeningly like the night before.

Yuffie took a second to get her anger under control. The girl ran a hand through her hair and closed her chestnut eyes, taking deep breaths. "Okay, explain," She commanded. "Now."

Kairi had gotten to her feet some time between Naminé's departure and now. She shifted her weight shyly from foot to foot, causing her favorite red snowflake pajamas that she wore year round to ride down on her hips. "Naminé got here last night."

"Oh god she spent the night!" Yuffie interrupted, tossing her head back and covering her eyes with her hand.

"She was a mess, Yuffie! I couldn't turn her away!" Kairi yelled, instinctively defensive. "She and Riku broke up once she realized how in love he was with Sora," the girl purposely left out the fact that Naminé's realization of her love for her was also a factor in the breakup. She toyed with her red hair, nervously. "I let her spend the night because she was in no condition to go anywhere. And that's also why we stayed in today! I'm sorry about The Breakfast Club, I shouldn't have done that. I just know that it always cheers me up when I'm down."

Yuffie's jaw remained clenched as she glared at her girlfriend. "That doesn't explain why she just kissed you," the girl seethed though gritted teeth.

"Yuffie, I'm sorry! Like you said, she kissed me!"

"You didn't push her away!" the taller girl retorted.

"I'm so sorry, Yuffie! It just felt so familiar. It would have been so hard to push her away!"

The girl unclenched her jaw, but the hurt in her eyes was enough to tell that this was far from over. "Okay, Kairi," Yuffie said as she sauntered up to the other girl. "Fine, I give in. I just want you to remember two things, and two things only." Yuffie stared down at Kairi, intent in her eyes and in every word she spoke. "For one, remember that that girl," Yuffie pointed angrily in the direction of the door. "the one that you were just comforting, was the one to _break_ you, Kairi. She shattered you because being gay just "wasn't working out" for her. She took you and shattered you into a million pieces, Kairi! And guess who the one to pick up those pieces was?"

"Please don't do this," Kairi muttered, her voice barely audible. "Please don't do this, Yuffie."

"It was me, Kairi. It was me." The other girl said with a strange combination of satisfaction and hurt in the reaction she gained from Kairi. "I was the one to tuck you under the covers and feed _you_ Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I listened to every one of The Beetle's tracks until you fell asleep and then again the next day. I reassembled you, Kairi. And then do you know what happened next? Tell me, Kairi. What happened once you were back on your feet, of course done at that time so that one girl knew that she wasn't being taken advantage of?"

"Yuffie, don't do this." The small girl begged, trembling.

"Fine, I'll tell you. Remember this second thing, Kairi. Don't you dare forget this." Yuffie drew closer still to Kairi and placed one finger under the girl's chin, tilting her head up and pulling her into a passionate, loving kiss. The taller soon drew back and gazed down into her girlfriend's eyes. "'I think I love you, Kairi.' Isn't that what I said? Now you're line."

Tears were pouring down the redhead's cheeks before she spoke. "'I think I love you too,'" she said in a small, shaky voice. "I had said 'I think I love you too.'"

"Good, hon, you remember." Yuffie said, mercilessly. "Keep that in your memory banks when you're with your new, or shall I say old, girlfriend."

It was not long before the finger was gone from underneath Kairi's chin, and the warm breath from her face. She was alone, so alone. The tears came even harder than before, and she collapsed to the ground. She'd just made the biggest mistake of her life.

* * *

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews! You know how happy you make me, even if they are waaaay undeserved. Especially right now. grrr, threee dayyyysssss. I really am sorry about that. It's 12:07 at night right now, and I'm loopy but I'm gonna go get a bowl of cereal and then get right on the next chapter. I'm not stopping until it's finished, because I feel sooo bad.**

**Jo**

** Axel: What, no witty banter between us?**

**Jo: ...**

**Axel: Geeze, Jo. I thought we were friends.**

**Jo: ...**

**Axel: Ouch. I see how it is. **


	5. 5: What Are You Afraid Of?

**Guys, I suck. I suck so badly because it's been only a few months under a year since my last update. I get that no apologies will ever regain my honour... but I feel like crap. I'm really sorry.**

**So I'm finally updating, even if I may not have any fans left, this story deserves an ending. My characters deserve happiness. Thus here is a chapter that is dedicated resolving a conflict and making at least ONE couple happy again. :)**

**Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Once upon a time there was a princess who lived in a far away land, locked up in the highest room of the tallest tower. She was so very far away and locked up so very tight, she could not buy kingdom hearts like she wanted to. So she cried for days and days, and then settled on writing fanfics.**

**Guys... I don't own it.**

**

* * *

**

**What Are You Afraid Of?**

"Will he come?" Axel asked himself as he stood in the shadows of the alley created by two buildings of the Twilight Town High School, or "Double T" as the students referred to it as. He slid to the ground and rested his head against the brick wall behind him, his cat-like viridian eyes never ceasing their search for his younger friend. After waiting ten minutes the boy sighed, and let his eyes slide closed, exhaustedly. It had been a long day.

Roxas was avoiding him.

It wasn't the simple, not being around when he knew Axel would be there, or just pretending that he had not seen his redheaded counterpart. No, Roxas was always there, blatantly ignoring Axel. At lunch, they all sat at the regular table, but Roxas spoke not a word to him. And when they'd seen each other in the hallway, and Axel knew that he saw him too, he simply walked in the other direction.

"He didn't mean it. He still wants to see me." Axel breathed, sadly, gripping the bottom of his green checkered jacket until his knuckles went white.

"You're right. I do still want to see you," a soft voice said from above. Axel opened his eyes, and looked up at the blond, relief evident on his face.

"Roxas, you came," he said in disbelief, his voice still coming out of his throat airily as if he couldn't catch his breath.

"I did, obviously," Roxas said, rolling his eyes. "Axel, I'm sorry for acting so childish last night. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. I should have stayed, and we could have talked this out."

"Yeah," Axel said, regaining his confidence. He seemed somewhat like a puppy when its master apologized for hitting it with a newspaper when it hadn't done anything bad. "I feel the same way!"

"But my views haven't changed," Roxas warned as the older boy stood excitedly and leaned in to kiss him. "I still don't think we should become official."

"But why noooot?" Axel whined before clamping a hand over his mouth realizing that this was what had triggered last night's chain of events. He stood, brushed off his skinny jeans and patted down his wild red spikes, or rather, attempted to pat down his wild red spikes. Once the boy had regained his composure he cleared his throat to ask a simple, "Why not, Roxas?" trying to make his voice sound professional and purely curious instead of angry, hurt, and confused— all the things he was.

Roxas sighed heavily. He had thought long and hard on the response that he would give Axel. The boy had practiced it, and now had it down to a tee. But when he went to speak the words, he found them catch in his throat. He couldn't lie while looking up into those endless green eyes. Now, the boy sighed even harder than before, coming across as a huff and a childish pout.

Axel couldn't help but smile fondly at the flustered little blonde. The older made a loop with his long arms and rose it over Roxas' head then lowered it down around his waist. "Just tell me, Roxas," He told the boy compassionately, egging him on. "You can tell me anything, you know."

"No I can't," Roxas said frankly, stomping his foot on the black pavement causing his baggy blue jeans to rise and then fall back into place on his leg around his black converse high-tops. "I just can't!" The boy looked anywhere but at the amazing, understanding, wonderful person in front of him. What was he doing? Couldn't he do anything right in a relationship?

"Hey, now," Axel began sweetly, cupping one of the blonde's round, flushed cheeks in his hand, forcing Roxas to look him straight in the eye. "Roxas, you _can_ tell me anything. Now just tell me what's wrong."

Roxas set his jaw, pursed his lips together and looked off to the side again, pretending to study the bricks on the wall. Axel sighed and let his hand fall from his cheek, he knew that Roxas had made up his mind not to talk. So he'd have to do the talking for him. Sure he didn't want it to come to this, but there was nothing more to do.

"So, Sora was right?" Axel said, letting his eyes slip closed once more, bending over and putting his hands on his knees to show that he'd come to a tragic conclusion.

"Oh no. Sora told you?" Roxas' large blue eyes grew even larger still as it dawned on him that, "_You_ told Sora! Axel! I told you not to tell anyone!"

Axel straightened again. They were not getting off topic. "Yes, I told Sora. I told Sora because he's your best friend, and I had nowhere else to go. Now do you want to explain yourself?"

Roxas narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he let out the breath he's been holding in through his nose. "What is there to explain?" the blond yelled, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "So now you know that I'm an unfaithful slut! How does that make you feel, huh? Do you still want to give it the good old college try," Roxas mocked, swinging a fist across his chest in fake excitement. "only to have me fuck it up with some other guy?"

Axel looked at Roxas and began to laugh, amusement the only emotion in his face.

"What?" Roxas exclaimed furiously. "What could possibly be funny right now?"

"You, Roxas. You make me laugh. Rox, you won't cheat on me," Axel stated, a smug smirk on his face. "Trust me. No, wait. Trust _yourself_."

"Why does everyone keep telling me that? I trust myself just fine! I'm just…" And with that, he shut up again, looking bashfully down at where his hands fiddle with the bottom of the purple and yellow striped shirt that fit snugly to his scrawny form.

Axel looked at Roxas with a curious, searching eye. "What, Rox? What's wrong?"

Roxas gulped. "I'm just afraid." He flicked his deep blue eyes up to look the other in the face. "I have a fear of commitment, so whenever I get into anything official I quit. You notice I don't do clubs or sports teams. I don't make many definite plans…"

Realization hit Axel like a ton of bricks for the second time. Now, he really understood, and he didn't have the answer. He wanted to hug the boy, to tell him that it was alright, that he had nothing to be afraid of, but he didn't know quite what Roxas was afraid of in the first place. He opened his mouth many times only to close it and search again for the right words.

"Say something." Roxas pleaded, shrinking even more into himself, upset by the sudden awkward silence.

"Wow, Roxas," Axel murmured, unable to bring his eyes from the young boy's lithe form. "What are you afraid of?"

Roxas knew that this was coming. He heaved a sigh and looked towards the ground as if it held some sort of answer. "That anything I begin to love will be ripped out from under me," he muttered, blushing, his words barely understandable. But Axel understood.

The redhead gasped, hard, and flung his arms around Roxas. "Oh my god, Roxas, it won't be that way. It won't, I promise. I swear it." He began whispering as he felt Roxas' body begin to tremble and the shoulder of his shirt soak through with tears. "He's not here anymore. He can't take me away. He can't take anything away anymore, he's gone."

"I know!" the boy yelled through his tears. "I just can't shake the feeling that he's still here, waiting to take away all my happiness."

Roxas had an abusive father. That was the only way to put it. Sure he didn't hit his son much, but he would abuse him in other ways. He abused him verbally, telling him that he was scum, and would never amount to anything especially if he was going to "keep on being a fruit"; he abused him mentally by playing sick mind games with him such as "pick the right card or you're grounded." There was never a right card.

He would even starve Roxas. He'd tell him that maybe if he got skinny enough he would finally love him. Yes, it would be Roxas who would choose to not eat, which spurred the cooking of his favorite dishes every night, but it was just another sick game to his father; something to amuse him.

Axel's heart tightened. He knew the story. Three years ago, Roxas had finally called the authorities on his father. It was the hardest thing for him to do, everyone knew that. He kept thinking that maybe if he just skipped one more meal… maybe that would do it. Maybe he'd be loved. But his friends, who did not know the extent of his father's abusiveness, always joked about how skinny Roxas was or that he never came to parties. Sora and Kairi became worried when he would faint in the middle of school for not eating. He knew it was all wrong, but it was just the way he'd become accustomed to living. Changing that was hard. After the Social Workers had been called, Roxas' dad was carted off to jail, too drunk off his ass to care, and his mother cried profusely while thanking him and telling him that life would be all better now. She never had the guts to do it herself either.

The redhead let his grip loosen from the other's waist and drew his hands up to meet his face, cupping it in his large warm hands. He looked deeply into those sad, broken blue eyes before closing his own emerald and catching the younger boy's lips in a passionate kiss. He slipped his fingers through his blond locks as Roxas drew his shaking arms around his neck, and pushed the small form against the brick wall. Soon, though, Axel broke off, leaving Roxas leaning in for more only to be stopped by one finger to the lips.

"Roxas," Axel began, looking down at their feet. He felt the words bubbling in his throat but it was so difficult to get them out. "Roxas I love you."

The blond gasped but was silenced again.

"Don't say anything. I just want to get this out." A hesitant nod was received before he continued. "I love you so much, Rox. I love you more than the sun and the moon, and the earth, and anything else in this world. Hell, Roxas, I even love you more than fire. I know! A lot! And there is nothing that can ever take me away from you, you hear me. The only way I would walk out that door is if you forcibly remove me," The redhead bent down to Roxas' ear, and his breath ghosted along the boy's ear lobe, sending shivers down his spine. "and I don't think you're strong enough. Look at your little girl arms," he teased, giving one of Roxas' arms a squeeze.

Roxas looked at him condescendingly. "I don't have girl arms!" He yelled, grabbing Axel, and pushing him to the best of his little girl arms' abilities to the other side of the alley, and pinning _him_ to the wall.

"Wow," Axel said, astonished. "Maybe you are strong enough. Well, I'm warning you now, if you plan on removing me from your life, get ready for an all out brawl."

Roxas chuckled softly before getting on tiptoe, whispering, "I love you too, you goof" and capturing the other boy's lips again.

* * *

**I hope that that was a good enough balance of seriousness and happiness. And really, I do apologize for my unforgivable lack of updating while life sucked the life out of me. Sorry if that doesn't make sense, it's just MY LIFE SUCKS lately. School sucks. Boys suck. There are no gay girls around except for on of my best friends and I'm not into her that way, (Riku: Really? Jo: Yes, Riku. We're not all as blind as you!) so that sucks. (Oh yeah, btw, I'm bi. Namine: Really? Me too! Jo: Obviously. I made you that way.) But through the terrors of life, I was inspired to make my charries and my readers happy again. :)**

**Axel: I missed you guys, Did you miss me?**

**Roxas: Hey, I'm not done with you get back here.**

**Axel: Oooh. 3  
**

**Also, I was going to give those of you who have waited it out some Cloud/Leon smut as a reward, but I figured I should take a poll. SOOOOOOO**

**Who wants to read about Cloud and Lean getting down and dirty!?! Put it in your reviews! If there are any of you left...**

***wimper***

**I'll update soon. Please don't hate me.  
**


End file.
